If the Sun Belt added a ninth football school-who currently isn't in the conference-is it possible that one or more schools may be looking for a new conference home, and not necessarily on their own initiative?

Arkansas-Little Rock: UALR would certainly have options including the Mid-Con, Missouri Valley. The Southland would probably hesitate to expand beyond 12, and UALR would need a partner to give the Valley 12 instead of 11 schools. The Trojans could be a good rival for MO State in the Valley, or for Centenary and ORU in the Mid-Con.

Denver: Denver wants out, but will the WCC or WAC take them?

New Orleans: UNO has some protection from being booted simply because they're in New Orleans (or what's left of it), but then again, the Sun Belt is already well-stocked in Louisiana. If both UNO and UALR have to move, they could help form a much more sane Mid-Con West division with Centenary, ORU, Southern Utah, and UMKC

South Alabama: USA certainly would have the most to lose, as it's too far east for the Southland, wouldn't fit well in the Southern Conference, and likely wouldn't interest the already-humongous Atlantic 10 or even larger Big East. Can we say Atlantic Sun?

Western Kentucky: Although WKU is the most likely to start playing football in the Sun Belt, it seems content to remain at the I-AA level for now. WKU could go to the Ohio Valley for all-sports or the Missouri Valley while keeping football in the Gateway.

With Saint Louis looking at bolting the Atlantic 10 and leaving the A-10 at thirteen, would the A-10 be willing to take South Alabama, fresh off an NIT appearance and rumors of John Pelphrey being hired away?

USA would do wonders for A-10 Baseball - Mobile in February and March usually beats Amherst and Olean. The A-10 could fill in the gaps between South Alabama, Charlotte, and Xavier if any subsequent defections took place. Perhaps by then Georgia State and Winthrop could string some good seasons together in basketball.

If USA ever moves to the Football Championship Subdivision, only one more school would be needed to revive A-10 football as a separate league from the CAA:

South Alabama, Duquesne, Rhode Island, Richmond, Massachussetts

Add LaSalle or Dayton if they move to scholarship football, Villanova, and/or the America East schools.

Updates:
South Alabama is adding football in 2009, with the intention of going FBS by 2013.
Western Kentucky has started moving to FBS, the move will be finished in 2009 and they will be in the Sun Belt.

As for UALR and New Orleans, I don't see them adding football anytime soon. They just might form an all-new conference with other schools in the South Central that don't have football. They would be joined by other schools from the Southland and Summit League, plus independents UTPA and Houston Baptist.

The new conference can take on the Trans America Athletic Conference name, since that is a well known name.

Denver and Utah Valley State can replace Centenary and Oral Roberts in the Summit League, giving Southern Utah a traveling partner (or 2) until the Montana schools go FBS and join the WAC, allowing SUU into the Big Sky in the process.

The Sun Belt can get to 12 if Louisiana Tech comes over from the WAC (should CUSA turn them down again) and Georgia Southern goes FBS, allowing for a conference championship game.

UTSA is starting football, first game in 2010. UTSA has plans to go FBS.
Lamar is re-starting its football. Expect the announcing of a coach by March of 08. Mixed signals on going FBS after 2 years of FCS.
UTA football, forget it.
CC football, not until the school population is over 10,000.

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